It’s a 5000-mile spherical journey, to go to Azerbaijan in quest of our subsequent three factors within the Champions League, so we higher ensure we do actually return with all three. This Qarabag facet, winners of two of their first three league part matches, should not the Qarabag whom we beat 10-0 mixed residence and away in 2017-18 … and neither are we the Chelsea of that season, reigning Premier League champions and all.
If the Chelsea of the Spurs and Liverpool video games present up, we should always have Qarabag, within the bag. If the Chelsea of the Sunderland or the Wolves (second half) video games present up, we may be in for some unwelcome drama.
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Time to maintain enterprise (identical to Eden Hazard took care of Europa League ultimate enterprise on this metropolis again in 2019).
Date / Time: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 17.45 GMT; 12:45pm EDT; 11:15pm ISTVenue: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, AzerbaijanReferee: Sebastian Gishamer (on pitch); Manuel Schuettengruber (VAR)Forecast: Cool, probability of rain
On TV: TNT Sports activities 2 (UK); UniMás, TUDN (USA); Sony TEN 2 (India); SuperSport MáXimo 1 (NGA); Streaming: discovery+ (UK); Paramount+, Univision NOW (USA); Sony LIV (India); DStv Now (NGA)
Qarabag group information: Chelsea had been nonetheless basking within the Membership World Cup glow when Qarabag started their European season, barely ten days after the ultimate whistle blew at MetLife Stadium and the Blues had been declared Champions of the World. Since then, Qarabag have misplaced simply two video games on the continent (of 9 performed), navigating three rounds of qualifying to get into the league part, the place they’ve already taken scalps from Benfica and FC Copenhagen. Defeat to Athletic Bilbao on the earlier matchday introduced them again to actuality, however they’re nonetheless in with a fantastic probability of creating historical past and reaching the knockout rounds for the primary time ever.
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As evern, there’s no strain on them, it’s already a fantastic event, as head coach Gurban Gurbanov mentioned in his pre-match press convention. Gurbanov was additionally in cost again in 2017: actually, he’s been on the membership for 17(!) years. Very spectacular!
“We now have ready properly for this recreation. I think about my gamers. I imagine that our followers will benefit from the match. [But] even when we lose to a group from a league like [the Premier League], it’s no judgement on us. We now have to be assured. We now have to provide our followers one thing to have fun. Chelsea coming to Baku to play towards us is already a victory for us.”
-Gurban Gurbanov; supply:
Chelsea group information: In contrast to for our journey to Kazakhstan final season, once we left nearly each first-team participant at residence and took solely the “B-team” and a bunch of Academy gamers to play Astana, this time it’s the total squad touring. Solely long-term absentees Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo, Cole Palmer, and Benoît Badiashile had been left at residence, joined on the final minute by Pedro Neto as a consequence of a “small challenge”. Neto’s anticipated to be match for the weekend.
“Not an issue, only a small challenge. So we attempt to shield him. He isn’t concerned in tomorrow’s recreation.”
-Enzo Maresca; supply:
That mentioned, Maresca is definitely anticipated to rotate and maintain the massive weapons contemporary for the weekend’s recreation towards Wolves and their new supervisor.
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Beforehand: This shall be our third match towards Qarabag after the video games within the group phases again in 2017. We gained 6-0 on the Bridge, then 4-0 away. Davide Zappacosta scored a fantastic aim within the first recreation, which was our first recreation again within the Champions League after a yr’s absence.